Agasteeswarar, Vidangalur, Nagapattinam

Basic information about the temple

Moolavar:	Agasteeswarar	Ambal / Thayar:	Satyadakshi
Deity:	Siva	Historical name:
Vriksham:		Teertham:
Agamam:		Age (years):	1000-2000
Timing:	to & to	Parikaram:
Temple group:	Vaippu sthalam	–
Sung by:		Temple set:
Navagraham:		Nakshatram:
City / town:	Vidangalur	District:	Nagapattinam
Maps from (click):	Current location	Tiruvarur (19 km)	Nagapattinam (22 km)
	Kumbakonam (59 km)	Mayiladuthurai (60 km)

Location

Sthala puranam and temple information

It is hard to imagine that a Tevaram Vaippu Sthalam is in such a state today. During the time Sundarar had sung a pathigam mentioning this temple, it would have likely been larger or certainly having more prominence that it has today.

Sages Agastyar and Vitangar worshipped here, which gives the moolavar His name as Agasteeswarar, and the town its name of Vidangalur. This is virtually a one-shrine temple, with a common mandapam (covered by asbestos roof) housing both the moolavar and Satyadakshi Amman. Thankfully, there are separate smaller sub-shrines for Vinayakar, Murugan, Mahalakshmi and Anjaneyar.

This appears to be a Chola temple, likely dating to the 9^th or 10^th century. The moolavar, however, should have been here prior to that, since Sundarar has sung about Agasteeswarar of this temple. The architecture here is vanilla, no koshtam deities, etc, yet the simple work on the outer walls and supporting pillars, as well as the vimanam over the garbhagriham, display fine workmanship.